


A Family Made, Not Born

by ArtisticTrash



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Absent Parents, Adoption, Aunt Natasha Romanov, Avengers Family, Baby Peter Parker, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Fluff and Humor, Gay Tony Stark, Gen, M/M, Natasha Romanov Sings, Nick Fury Knows All, Other, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Peter has too many uncles, Protective Natasha Romanov, Superfamily (Marvel), Team as Family, The Avengers Need a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Uncle Clint Barton, Uncle Thor (Marvel), only for the first 3 chapters tho, uncle bruce banner
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 07:32:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18116192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtisticTrash/pseuds/ArtisticTrash
Summary: Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Iron Man and Captain America, have been in a loving relationship and marriage for quite a few years until they decide to take it to the next level: adopting a child. Being superheroes and parents come with own unique struggles that they will have to learn to overcome.





	1. Chapter 1

The couple knew that today would be perfect upon checking the news. The well-dressed man had pointed to the map of northeastern America, zoning in on the region of New York in particular.  He declared the weather for the day and the rest of the week to be sunny skies with only a slight chill still hanging in the air. People can be spotted on the cracked sidewalks as they drive. Some are bundled in long, trendy coats with matching hats and scarves.  Those who are bolder wear t-shirts and shorts.

Adults mull around in an early morning sluggish manner on their way to work or to run errands.  Children who wish to not attend school stalling for as long as possible. College goers enter the coffee shops, which are spaced out conveniently, with their laptops and papers in hand.  They want peace, quiet, and a quality supply of caffeine to keep them alert as they work. Trees planted for mainly decorations bear full blossoms of flowers that will soon be lost to summer. The man in the passenger seat points out how he admires the color of the petals and the other man driving nods along while easing up on the gas pedal.

The speed of the car decreases slightly and the world beyond the tinted windows comes into focus instead of just blurs and colors. The appearance of the sleek car attracts the attention of some. The vehicle practically screams money to the people of a rather poor, residential area. Taking a turn, the driver switches the blinker on as he slows down more effectively and parks on the side of the street. He pauses for a moment; a jittery feeling in the tips of his fingers and toes has him slightly uneasy. The sound of the man’s partner closing the door pulls his attention back to the present time.

Getting out of the car, he joins the other on the sidewalk.

“Are you sure about this?” Tony Stark asks.

They stand at the end of the sidewalk before a few concrete stairs that lead to an old building. Tony is dressed head to toe in expensive yet casual attire for the occasion. His outfit in dark gray tones matches his black, greasy hair and metallic eyes. A rusted metal plaque bolted on the wall to the right states that the building is an orphanage established some time back. The billionaire is, of course, skeptical about coming to the building with his husband who is standing to his left completely confident and dressed as though he is just another person on the street; blue jeans and a shirt that just barely fit of his muscular build. His outfit selected carefully that morning to make him blend in and to not stand out, unlike his counterpart.

As admiring as Steve is from his ability to survive in arctic ice for nearly 70 years, be a successful subject of a superhuman enhancement process, and a suitable captain for the Avengers Initiative, the man often did questionable things; like right now, for an example. The married couple is considered to be one of the richest couples in the world and is living in the heart of New York City so they have plenty of well-suited orphanages to visit or choose from. Ones that are definitely better kept than the one they are about to enter.

Even so, Steve was rather adamant about picking a child from _this_ place. Though the man never stated his reason for doing so aloud, Tony is fairly certain Steve used to come here before he went under the ice. The building is rather old and surprisingly stands a few stories tall with a slight lean, most likely due to the instability of the entire foundation. The wood paneling has aged a great deal and is in need of a new coat of paint or replacements. It wouldn't be a stretch to guess the connections with the super soldier from WWII since Steve had lived near this part of the city and was alive around the time it was established.

“Yes. I know you’ll be a great father,” Steve Rogers responds. The man’s golden hair lights up in the sun and eyes as blue as the ocean practically melts the other’s heart once more. A lopsided smile gives Tony the mental image of a golden retriever.

_Speaking of dogs, wouldn’t taking care of a domesticated animal be much easier than a baby? It’s too late for that now._

Now that they have reached the door, Steve’s hand makes its way to Tony’s shoulder as he holds it with loving affection and support. Tony places one of his own hands over Steve’s and squeezes it tightly while he lets out a shaky breath. They both turn forward and stare down the door with a sense of newfound inspiration. The only obstacle in their path is a dark brown wooden door with a knob made of brass in desperate need of shining.

From the moment they step in, Tony and Steve can tell the atmosphere is very different from initial thoughts. Not only is the temperature warmer inside the building than the early spring bite of outside, but the aged look has no visual effect on the interior. The first, spacious room is a large and open lobby littered with modern decor. Plain black sofas and armchairs set out in perfect angles accompanied with knee-height tables holding slightly outdated magazines to pass the time. A T.V. placed high on the wall plays the news at a quiet volume. Steve briefly catches the sight of Tony on a cover of one of the magazines looking as handsome as always but decides not to bring it up.

A young and pretty receptionist waits just behind a simple desk not too far away from the door for the convenience of newcomers. The woman’s blonde hair is held tightly in a ponytail that curls at her mid back, swaying in time with her bobbing head. Her eyes light up when the two enter. She smiles brightly and straightens her back. The curve she creates looks almost painful and her loose curls mimic her movements in waves.

“Welcome,” she proclaims cheerfully as the two walk closer to the desk. Her bright emerald eyes open a little more as there is a hint of recognition in her head. “Wait, are you Iron Man?”

“Yep, that’s me.” Tony returns the smile with a cocky half smirk that he did not mean to do until he caught himself afterward. In truth, Tony is not in the mood for chit-chatting with a fan. He shoots a quick glance to Steve for help.

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Stark,” she quickly apologies having caught onto his physical distress.

“It’s alright,” he answers, shaking his hand to dismiss her worries.

“We are here to adopt,” Steve quickly adds, getting to the point of their visit. As much as the woman is being pleasant, Steve would feel much better when he has their son in his arms.

“Sure you do. Everyone who comes here is usually looking to adopt.” The woman somehow keeps a happy tone as she starts to type into the computer set off to her side. “So, what are your names and the name of your caseworker?”

“Oh, right, I’m Steve Rogers.” He gives a slight and respectful nod to the receptionist.

“You already know who I am.”                     

“Of course,” the woman replies with a small smirk of her own as she types on the keyboard again.

“And our caseworker is Ms. Sarah Mitchell.”

The clicking of keys bounces around the room as she gathers and searches for the correct information. Her mouse joins the symphony of noises with more clicks as she moves it around on a pad.

“Well, how many kids do you have here?” Steve asks to fill the brief silence and to start some small talk. From his childhood days, Steve remembers playing with the other orphans but he never really knew how many children were housed.

“There is a little under fifty here currently,” she responds with more professionalism than seen before by the couple. “Most of them are kids under the age of 10 and we do not have any over the age of 16. The older kids usually go to foster houses or other orphanages.”

Steve lightly grabs for Tony’s hand under the desk and away from the view of the receptionist. Tony can tell almost instantly that the taller and usually sturdier man is slightly upset. He wonders if her dream job was to try her hardest in providing children with homes or if this is just a way to make ends meet. Either way, Tony won’t ask for fear of being too personal and intrusive.

“Okay, I found it. Seems you are all set up to take Peter home. I believe that right now the babies are taking naps. We can still get him for you two though, but you have to be quiet,” she notes as she types into the computer some more before standing.

Steve notices how her height drops. It isn’t, however, that surprising since she was sitting on an unseen chair at level with her standing desk. That and Steve is used to being taller than a lot of other people.

“Here, let’s go. By the way, my name is Heather,” she offers while starting to walk deeper into the building. The three exchange handshakes and the couple trail slowly behind.

The couple can hear a quiet chatter radiating from each colorful door they pass when going through the large doors that lead to the back rooms that hold the majority of the children. Steve smiles sadly, wishing he could adopt all of them or at least make sure they got the families they deserve. Tony makes a mental note to offer more donations and funds for not just this orphanage but for the rest in the city, or maybe ones all over the country. They take the stairs -- the building is too old to have an elevator installed as Heather mentions -- to the second floor and it’s much quieter than the first.

_This must be where the babies are sleeping_ , Steve thinks to himself.

Heather confirms his thought by putting a manicured finger in front of her lips in a shushing manner. She opens one of the white wooden doors with a label in English and Braille that states ‘Baby Room #3’ to reveal a big room filled with baby cribs all painted in soft, pastel colors.

Tony and Steve take their time to look around and observe each child as Heather takes a more relaxed role in locating their baby out of the rest. Little names are drawn carefully in thin, black calligraphy on each of the headboards of the cribs. Names of varying origins given to the tiny yet abandoned human beings. All of the children are fast asleep and cuddling their toys or blankets for comfort; almost all of them.

There is one baby still awake, squirming around quietly in his bed. His name is painted above in cursive with a gentle pastel blue covering the entirety crib. Steve gets Tony’s attention right away and the men share a long look with the baby who returns it by watching with curious golden eyes and a small tuft of brown hair adorning his crown. Small hands reach up and try to grab at them as a reaction to the attention he receives. Heather walks over and gives a little smile as she picks up the small boy and takes him out of the room. The couple follows her because they have finally found their son.

“Well, Peter was _supposed_ to be asleep,” she apologizes as she looks the little boy over. The baby shows no signs of struggles or protest. In fact, to Tony, the baby looks pretty content; not happy or sad, just content.

“He’s probably hungry. I’ll ask Sandra,” she mumbles to herself, just barely heard by Steve’s heightened hearing. “There are a few things that need to be done before you can take him home, you know that right?”

“Yes, we know.” Steve is the one who answers. He and Tony had done extensive research when they had seriously considered adopting. The number of hours that Tony had spent climbing out of bed in the middle of the night to fervently search the internet for even the glimmer of hope in a family was countless.

“Good. I just need to ask someone about Peter but you two can hold him until I get back.”

“That’ll be okay,” Tony answers quickly with a chill to his voice despite secretly freaking out about holding a baby. It’s like holding parts of machinery except a baby is just a little lighter and can’t be dropped a dozen times without consequences.

“What’s wrong with Peter?” Steve’s voice already layered with concern.

“Well, Peter does not cry as much as other kids. It is not too uncommon with orphans but it is a little hard because when he is hungry or he wants something, he does not get the attention of anyone else. Some parents find it off-putting,” she explains.

Steve nods and awkwardly holds out his arms to carry their very soon-to-be son. Heather complies with a small giggle and carefully hands Peter over. The soldier supports the fragile neck and cradles the baby’s body close to his muscular chest as he was instructed during the classes he took with the rest of the Avengers to ensure everyone knew how to take care of a baby.

It’s a bittersweet feeling for Tony as he watches his husband hold the baby. His mind wondering what kind of neglect could have led to the poor boy’s silence. How long did he have to cry to realize no one would come to his aid?

Steve holds out his large hand above the baby and twirls the calloused fingers around to amuse Peter when he gets comfortable holding him. This works to amuse the baby since Peter opens his eyes fully and starts to make more attempts to grab at the soldier’s fingers. Peter brings the captured fingers to his mouth to suck and chew on them when he is successful. Steve stifles a laugh and resists the urge to pull away from the drooling mouth when the weird, wet feeling makes its way to his senses. Tony continues to watch with great amusement and looks up to see Steve’s face. The soldier looks so happy and pleased. Tony feels his heart pulse in a loving response to his cheery husband. A sense of longing and rash decisions meets the billionaire’s mind.

“Steve, do you really think he’s… the one?” Tony looks to the frozen form of his husband and then back down at the baby. Peter, noticing the lack of movement in the fingers, stares at the two with his beautiful eyes.

“Do _you_ think he is?” Steve pulls his hand away to wipe the slobber off on his jeans.

“You look really happy with Peter and I already think that he’s perfect so it’s a logical conclusion that he’s the best fit for us,” he finishes. The soldier pauses and then acknowledges the other’s train of thought with a smile. His slightly clean hand places itself on Tony’s shoulder again.

“Yeah, I think so too,” Steve answers honestly. “Do you want to hold him?”

“You know I don’t like being handed things,” Tony muses half-heartedly but accepts the small baby into his arms anyway. The billionaire briefly considers if the boy’s size is too small but dismisses the thought.

The baby makes no noise when he is moved to another’s arms. The billionaire tries to take initiative in arousing the baby similar to Steve, as of to not be shown up, by pulling out a small object from his pocket and giving it to Peter. Steve, just barely grasping the purpose of his husband’s inventions, briefly questions if it’s safe for the baby to have. Regardless, Peter takes the object into his little hands and begins to chew on it without hesitation.

_Maybe he’s teething_ , Tony wonders when he spots a look of relief and determination on the boy’s face.

“Tony, do you think that’s okay?” Steve asks. He has faith in Tony but there are a few inventions and machines that aren’t as safe as they were supposed to be. Just ask any one of the unfortunate S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that volunteered to be lab rats for Tony’s experiments.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay.” Tony waves a hand to hush the already overprotective man -- soon to be a father.

Heather comes back and views Tony holding Peter. “Well, Peter ate so he’s probably too awake to take a nap. That happens sometimes. I’ll take Peter to Sandra. She’ll get him ready and you guys can do the last bit of paperwork in the lobby. Then you can take him home today.”

Tony grins and plucks the little metal object from Peter’s weak grip and hands the baby back to the young woman.

The couple trail after Heather again for a final time to her tall desk in the lobby. Steve takes the papers and the two began working on it together while sharing a small writing space provided by the tables. All together, it doesn’t take too long and in an hour the paperwork is done, signed, and officiated. Everything else can be done at a later time or by someone working under Tony.

“Sandra’s bringing out Peter right now and there’s also a small box full of Peter’s things that you get to take home as well.” Heather accepts the paperwork and places it into a neat file which is then placed in a file cabinet out of view.

“A box,” Tony questions aloud, very unsure of what a baby could have that fills a box.

“Yes, as you know, Peter was discovered all alone. The police conducted an investigation but without finding any relatives, he was placed in our orphanage. They found his home but nearly everything was gone or taken as evidence. Some of the possessions that were not taken were given to us for Peter when he grew up or was adopted,” Heather informs with a more solemn attitude. Grim reality settling in on the boy’s past.

“Well, that’s something to look into later,” Tony mutters to himself. Knowing that Peter is going to be in their possession, he will most definitely do some research of his own or have Natasha do it when he gets back to the Avenger’s Tower, or home. Steve looks over at his husband with curiosity and wonders what the hero would find if he were to look into Peter’s past.

An older woman arrives quicker than expected. The woman’s dark brown hair cut neatly to her shoulders and straightened so well that it didn’t look natural. In her arms is the baby. He isn’t moving or squirming around anymore, much to the woman’s delight. Peter is still dressed in footie pajamas but it’s different than the other. This outfit bears more designs of cute, cartoon dinosaurs and of better quality. The baby’s chubby face is emotionless as always but when he’s brought closer to the couple, a tiny smile forms due to recognition.

Sandra, on the other hand, seems a little less enthusiastic about this part of her job. She walks over to briefly thrust Peter into Tony’s arms before taking several steps away from the couple and glare with hateful eyes. The billionaire’s arms twitch in the confrontation of accepting Peter or fighting back with words and exaggerated hand gestures. Of course, Tony held his son with care but that didn’t stop the feeling akin to hate that stemmed from how rude that woman was in _handing_ the baby over. Luckily, Steve aids him by taking Peter quickly with a less than pleased expression on his face but he holds the baby in a gentle grasp that contradicts the soldier's emotions.

“Sandra,” Heather warns with a pinched expression and tight voice. “Can you get Peter’s box, please?”

“Fine,” the woman scoffs in return before swiftly making a turn to leave. Her heels sending reverberations down the hall as she leaves. Steve questions how someone working in with children could be so rude.

Peter couldn't care less about the other woman. He had long since traced his attention back to Steve -- one whose large body covered most of his vision. Steve looks like a giant and while Peter can’t comprehend a lot, the little one is sure that he has never seen someone quite like him. The tiny hands pull at the man’s shirt to get his attention. When he doesn’t receive it, the baby looks over to see Tony not that far away. He then sets out on a new mission to search for the same metal object from before.

Thanks to Steve’s strength, he holds Peter tightly as he struggles to get to the billionaire for the unintentional chew toy. Tony notices his desperate attempts and rewards him by handing the object back to Peter. The baby coos happily, returning to a more calmed state with the object in his mouth. Heather smiles to herself and the memorable clicking of heels signal Sandra’s return. Still not pleased when she meets the couple again, the woman takes her hostility out by pushing a box right into Tony’s chest. He has no option but to take it. He holds the box with his fists clenching tightly, glaring at her as she leaves once more.

_Who does she think she is?_

His scowl is quite evident to the receptionist.

“Sorry, Sandra is… less than a progressive thinker,” Heather says. The young woman tries her best to salvage the horrible first impression but there is no excuse for her colleague.

“She does not approve of us, does she?” Steve proposes. Heather nods solemnly in response.

Steve felt accustomed to it by now. Being bullied at a young age softens the psychological blow the offense held over him. Much to Steve’s slightly unpleasant discovery, Tony is more offended by the attack on his ego and mistreatment of his son than his lifestyle. Then again, hate against the two heroes is not uncommon whether it is about the controversial actions they take as heroes or their sexuality. Well, the sexuality objections are mainly against Tony since he is the only Avenger who proudly presents his real identity as Iron Man and relationship with Steve to the world like it’s just another prize. The soldier, however, chose a more secretive way and keeps his identity a secret.

“But there’s nothing she can do to stop you. After all, Peter is yours.” Heather gives another one of her typical, friendly smiles and starts to type into the computer again. The noise from the keyboard gives off an oddly satisfying sound. Tony nods along with it. It is rather soothing for some unknown reason.

“Thank you.” Steve nods as well as he shifts Peter in his arms for a more comfortable hold.

“Yeah, thank you,” Tony says as he gives a flashy grin and walks to the door. He manages to awkwardly open the door for himself and Steve to pass through while refusing any sort of help.

Tony opens the door to the back seat of the car, tosses the box inside, and moves for Steve to place Peter in the car seat that they bought beforehand. Actually, Natasha bought it with Clint when the two had heard they were going to adopt and bring the baby home today. In fact, when each of their fellow superhero teammates had heard of the final decision of adoption they promised to offer a gift of sorts. The nerdy scientist, Bruce, bought clothes that could be easily returned if sizes were incorrect; Clint, an archer with a love for the color purple, had said he knew a great place for toys and could cut a deal; the Russian assassin, Natasha, had promised to buy a few bottles and pacifiers when she learned that no one had thought to buy some; and Thor the God of Thunder was going to bring a weapon from Asgard but had been talked out of it. Either way, the god promised to bring something worthy for the boy when he was of an appropriate age to accept the gift, whatever it may be.

Some close friends also discovered their plans through the grapevine and offered to buy something too. Most of them encouraged the idea that the couple should throw a baby shower but Tony shot down that idea. A party for their adopted child most likely meant that there had been a lot of planning for the event. The media would be present just to make headlines and get coverage while all types of celebrities that don’t even care for Tony would show just for the public image. The whole ordeal that should be special and personal would turn into a silly charade. The superhero couple decided that a baby shower wasn’t something that they really needed.

There is one thing Tony always forgets: his friends don’t exactly listen to him very well.

The car ride does not take long and they arrive at their home but not without complications. As soon as Peter was placed in his car seat, he became upset. He didn’t cry or scream but made it extremely difficult for Steve to buckle him into the car seat. The wiggling baby made it harder for Steve to make sure he was strapped in correctly as he was just barely grasping how the seat worked. The baby had thrown or dropped his toy and whined an awful lot. Tony specifically chose a route that was longer to calm Peter. The quiet hum of the vehicle and smooth motions did the trick. By the time the car stopped in front of the tall and futuristic building, Peter was yawning and sleepy. The baby is, thankfully, less grumpy when taken out of the car.

J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI computer system hooked up to the entire house, greets them as Tony enters the building with Peter in his arms. The little boy had practically forgotten the toy from before and left it for Tony to pocket it once more. Steve carries the box this time around with little effort and they ride the elevator to the main floor a.k.a. the living room or the party room. As they step out of the elevator, Tony and Steve freeze.

“You really think we wouldn’t do something,” Pepper says with a smug grin. Her pink dusted cheeks are pulled back with dimples as her pearly white teeth shine through. Behind the beautiful woman, a group of their close friends is around with drinks -- most likely champagne -- in their hands. Decorations are strung all around the room with little aesthetic or effort to them.

_At least they didn’t yell ‘surprise’_.

“You were a part of this?” Tony asks with slight concern.

“Only 12% of it,” Pepper retorts. The blonde haired woman instantly turns her attention to the baby in his arms.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Tony calls out, irritated. “What did I tell you about this?”

“I honestly saw no danger in this. I made sure that no one other than the people in this room has knowledge of the party. Besides, sir, I believe this is good for you,” the A.I. responds with its disembodied voice in the form of a British accent. Tony just gives a slightly defeated sigh and pretends to be angrier than he is.

“Blah,” Peter coos. This grabs the attention of the billionaire. Looking down he can see Pepper make similar nonsense noises and exaggerated expressions for the boy, _baby talk_. Tony finally manages to step out of the elevator with more help from Steve than he’d care to admit. Tony takes only a few more steps again before he’s flocked by mainly female friends entranced by the charm of the baby.

“What’s his name?” Pepper asks as she looks to Steve.

“Peter.” Steve breaks out into a big smile.

“Adorable,” Natasha comments as she walks over to see the baby too. The natural saunter of her body makes her seem dangerous and sensual. The striking red hair curling at her shoulders adding to her natural flair.

“How old is he again?” Clint butts in, finding himself in the group by Tony as well. He kneels by Pepper and the two look related. However, if someone were to study them, they would find the differences: Pepper’s hair is a shade darker and Clint’s borders on platinum blonde, the woman has green eyes and the man has dark blue eyes, and the shape of their faces don’t align in any familiar resemblance.

“About four months,” Steve answers. The super soldier has to admit, although he didn’t want a baby shower, he is very grateful for his friends’ effort.

“Do you guys want to hold him?” Tony proposes, secretly wanting to get away from the group that has swarmed him. As much as he hates to say it, the billionaire wants a drink. Big events with lots of social people have that effect on him. He blames it as a coping mechanism to deal with all the fake and snooty parts of being rich and powerful. His therapist called it being alcoholic. But he’s over that now, or else he wouldn’t have Peter.

Natasha’s eyes light up after hearing Tony’s offer. It is slightly concerning for him to see since the last time Natasha gave him that look, he hadn’t been able to use his left hand for a week.

“Yes,” she says enthusiastically.

Tony nods anyway and gives the ginger assassin the baby.

“Will this not scare him?” Bruce quietly interjects when he spots Natasha take Peter, and the group, to one of the large couches nearby. He stands quite a few inches lower than the other but the two don’t mind the difference.

“He’s a strong kid, I can tell. He’ll be fine,” Steve discloses with his friend.

Bruce hums in response and goes over to the bar for a drink; something to get rid of any remaining anxiety. Steve follows but does not participate in drinking anything alcoholic. Tony and Steve swore it off for their health. They also have to set a good example for their son.

It felt weird to Steve to think such a thing. From today on, he would be a father. He had never really thought of anyone to raise a family with. When he was a young man, he had only thought of the second Great War. The first woman Steve had ever loved was clear to express her idea of work before relationships. Now he had Stark.

A laugh was nearly brought to his lips when he actually stops to think about it. It all comes back to Stark. Tony’s father had created the superhuman serum and given means to Steve so that he could fight and how does he repay the brilliant scientist; by marrying his only son and heir to the Stark fortune. Man, he must be rolling in his grave.

The party made its way later into the night. The moon had peaked out in a quarter of its full glory accompanied with twinkling little stars. Quite a few of their friends left to resume their normal lives. Of the ones who stayed were Bruce, Clint, Natasha, Thor, Steve, and Tony which are also the same people who live in the building. By that time, everyone decides they should open the presents left for Peter. The baby watches with wide eyes and his mouth in a little ‘o’ from the floor as the gifts are placed in a pile before him. Steve grabs one of the smaller wrapped presents and encourages Peter to open it with him. The small hands try to grab at the slippery paper to the best of their capabilities. The baby’s face contorts from all the effort. Steve chuckles and helps by pulling off the clear tape and ripping the light blue wrapping paper to offer up traction and grip. This doesn’t help but it keeps Peter entertained.

The flash from a camera in the corner of Steve’s eye pulls his attention to look up where he sees Natasha smiling beside Clint. She holds a camera pointed directly at them. The picture barely affects the baby and he continues to play around in the wrappings. Steve pulls at the paper some more and eventually Peter is able to successfully rip it enough to reveal a stuffed animal; a tiny brown teddy bear. Peter squeals in delight and holds the toy close to his body. Steve smiles and goes to pull the tag from the bear’s ear but the baby moves away from his hand the best he can so that Steve can’t reach his toy. Steve retracts his arm so he can properly observe Peter’s offended gaze.

“Alright, alright. It’s yours.” Steve laughs and grabs another present. He lightly shakes the present to get Peter’s attention but it doesn’t stick. Peter is too involved in his toy to care about anything else. Steve just pulls him into his lap and begins to open the other presents, slowly eliminating the pile over time. Many of the gifts are clothes that Steve admits to being absolutely adorable and can’t wait to see them on Peter. Besides outfits, there are shoes, superhero-themed toys, and bottles but nothing is better received than the teddy bear.

When the party officially ends for the team, Tony feeds Peter a bottle of baby formula. The baby falls asleep rather quickly with his new toy held tightly in his tiny arms. Before everyone went to bed, Steve takes the opportunity to ask around in order to discover who gave Peter the toy but no one claimed it. The tag has no clear name or company; not even a barcode or purchase tag. Steve and Tony find no trouble with the mysterious toy and allows for their son to keep it. Peter’s sleeping form is then placed in his new crib surrounded by other stuffed animals. The small baby lays there at peace. Tony has J.A.R.V.I.S. play soft, gentle music for the boy and makes sure to have the AI keep an eye, or scanner, on Peter while the couple heads off to their own room to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Steve wakes up early. With not much to do at 7 o'clock in the morning, he goes to check on Peter. Even though J.A.R.V.I.S. did not notify them during the night about Peter, the baby surely needs to be attended to. So, while his husband slept -- his body sprawled out over the large bed they shared -- Steve takes care of Peter. The boy is awake and sucking on a pacifier that must have been left in the bed for him. Steve picks the quiet boy up and brings him to the changing station tucked away in the corner of the room. From there, he changes Peter’s soiled diaper and wipes him clean. He brings the boy with him to the kitchen to warm up another bottle as breakfast when the task is over and done with. He briefly wonders if Peter could handle any form of solid foods but decides against it since he is clearly too small for it.

Steve gently holds the bottle for Peter to drink from as they sit in the living room. The amount of the drink slowly going down and the audible sound from Peter are indications of him sucking from the bottle. The tiny hands curl around the bottle and one even curls around a few of Steve's fingers. The soldier settles with placing the empty bottle on the coffee table beside the couch and looks over Peter when he finishes with his meal.

It is a weird but pleasant sensation that Steve feels when he looks over his son again, alone. The baby is his, but at the same time, he isn’t. Peter is some other family’s child and while they could no longer be there for him, Steve and Tony have stepped in. Hopefully, it is for the best that they took Peter. While on the subject of chance, Steve also ponders the idea that they could have just as easily taken another little boy instead.

“Sir, there are people in the lobby requesting to speak with you,” J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke, interrupting the flow of Steve’s early morning thoughts.

“Who is it?” he asks the AI. At first, speaking to the robot was weird and uncomfortable but over time, Steve adjusted to it. Their interactions became more plentiful and Steve communicates with J.A.R.V.I.S. as if he is just another person living in the house with them.

“It is Director Fury and his subordinate, Maria Hill,” he responds.

“Let them up,” he tells the computer.

“On it, sir,” he concludes.

When the teddy bear that Peter was carrying around all morning fell, he picks it up and hands it back to the baby cradled in his arms. He wonders what Fury wants and if he should wake up the others. While Clint and Nat almost always wake up early, like himself, to train or just spend the day doing something productive, the rest are not as prone to the early hours as them. Bruce likes to keep to himself and Thor had demanded that when he stays at the Tower to never be disturbed from his slumber unless it is important. Tony is pretty much indifferent due to his already abnormal sleep schedule, but Steve likes to spoil his husband with late mornings and breakfast in bed.

The elevator makes a soft ding as it announces the arrival of the special government operatives. The well-experienced pair steps onto the floor to meet with Steve. The two are people that Steve has met on multiple occasions for business. Fury is a brooding man dressed in all black. It is hard to tell if the clothing choice is for style only or for being inconspicuous. His one good eye is trained on the man and his son. The other eye permanently wounded and covered with an eye patch. The woman, Maria, hangs back. She’s dressed in a nice black suit consisting of matching dress pants and a blazer buttoned over a white button-up blouse.

Without any place to lay Peter down, Steve continues to hold him in his left arm as he formally shook Fury’s hand and then Maria’s. He shows them to a seat by him on the comfortable yet modern furniture.

“So, I see the rumors were true,” Fury muses with his deep voice as he watches Steve hold Peter before looking at the steamers left up from last night. Steve nods along.

“Yes, we discussed the possibility of adoption before,” Steve brings up carefully.

“Indeed you did.” Fury chuckles lightly. “Then you do remember how dangerous it is to have a baby, especially in the Avengers Initiative Headquarters.”

“Yes, I do. Tony and I talked it over and we both agreed to this,” Steve goes on the defensive side. It wasn’t like Fury has complete control over their lives. The man may have been the one who spearheaded the establishment of the Avengers but he doesn’t own them. Steve’s first impression of the agent was pretty off-putting and Tony already isn’t a fan of the pirate looking man.

“And there is nothing wrong with that, but you should know that having a kid isn’t the smartest move to make at the moment. The controversy and threats are too great, not to mention the complications of working if you have a kid with you.” Fury emphasizes by gesturing to the baby. The baby just looks to Fury and back to his father, sensing the hostility in the air.

“I promise to you that Tony and I will always be there to defend Earth, no matter the circumstances. If you have anything else you wish to add then say so now or leave,” Steve warns; his voice rising slowly with each word. Fury detects his tread on thin ice and realizes that he’s overstayed his welcome. He stands to leave and Maria does the same.

“No, that’s all, but I am a little upset that you didn’t invite me to the baby shower. I even got the kid a little something,” Fury says while walking back to the elevator, a smirk definitely on his lips. Steve gives him a dubious look.

“Do you not believe me?” Nick laughs and nods to Maria for, presumably, the gift. The woman presents a manila envelope that she’s been holding the entire time with a polite smile.

“When you think Peter’s old enough, or if he ever wants to get into the _family_ business, we can always make room for him.” Fury waves and takes his exit.

Steve inspects the contents of the envelope when they leave. Inside is a registration form for S.H.I.E.L.D. The extremely secret branch of the American government is known for being very skeptical of the people they accept. It’s not a job that can be earned with ease. The unfiled paper is top secret on its own.

_Isn’t Fury putting too much faith in a baby?_

“What was that about, Cap?” Natasha asks as she steps into the living room from the kitchen, an apple in her hand as if for aesthetic. The color of its skin matching the hair she’s thrown into a ponytail. She uses her other hand to wipe lingering sweat from her forehead and brow. The soldier assumes she was training. Her outfit of a black t-shirt and shorts helps with his theory.

“Yeah, what did old Scarface have to say?” Clint adds. He comes in behind Natasha with a half-eaten banana. He wears a very similar outfit to Natasha but with dark purple leggings instead.

“Just warning me, I guess,” Steve replies unsure of his own answer.

“Is he still against you and Tony having a kid?” Clint asks, sitting down on a chair opposite of Steve and Peter.

“Maybe, but he did just give me this for Peter.” Steve holds up the manila folder for the pair to see. The assassins are smart enough to realize what its purpose is. The special ink stamp of the branch is a dead giveaway. They return a look of astonishment to Steve.

“Are you serious?” Clint can’t help but exclaim loudly.

“That’s bold, especially for Fury,” Natasha agrees while taking bites of her apple.  

“Well, I have to wake up Tony and make breakfast. Do you want to watch Peter for a while?” Steve suggests.

Natasha smiles and stands next to the much older man to hold the baby. Steve hands him over and starts to head towards the elevator, the quickest way to get to bedrooms. He pauses before stepping in.

“Do you have any requests for breakfast?”

“Pancakes,” the pair shout back almost instantly.

When Steve disappears, Clint moves next to his friend and teammate to clearly observe the baby. Up close, Clint can see how the couple fell for Peter the moment they saw him.

_Who wouldn’t want an adorable baby like this?_

“Do you know what got him into the orphanage?” Clint asks.

“All I know is that his parents are probably dead. Tony said he would look into it,” Natasha answers while looking down at the boy. She is very glad that Peter isn’t a fussy or a shy, skittish baby.

“Why’s that?” Clint uses one of his fingers to poke and tickle the boy’s belly. Peter giggles and laughs in response. Pure belly laughs making Clint smile happily.

“Something about an investigation that went cold.”

Natasha then holds and compares the baby’s hand to her own. A gentle pain pricks her chest when she remembers that she can never have a child that is _hers_. The quaint smile on her lips falters. Becoming an effective assassin comes with consequences. She’ll never be able to have children of her own.

Clint hums and starts to engage with the baby more. They barely acknowledge Steve who passes through to the kitchen with a disheveled Tony grumbling about coffee and possibly liquor. He barely registers the others but it is particularly fine since the two on the couch returns the same amount of care.

Thanks to Steve’s hidden cooking talent, breakfast is cooked quickly and is being served at their large table when Thor and Bruce leave their rooms. Peter is kept in Steve’s arms since he can’t eat extremely solid foods like the rest of them. The friends sit at breakfast talk and enjoy each other’s company, also thanking Steve for the breakfast. Steve then notices how intently Peter is looking at him. When the two hold eye contact, he can see how Peter’s eyes go a little wider and he listens as Peter makes a noise with his mouth. Steve doesn’t exactly understand but he smiles anyway. That seems to cheer Peter on ever more and continues to make nonsense noises.

“He’s catching on pretty quick, won’t be too long until he’s saying words,” Bruce comments. Peter looks over to him when he speaks and watches his mouth.

Natasha finishes her plate and walks over to the sink to rinse most of the sticky residue from it. When she puts her plate in the dishwasher, she looks over at the table and glares at the rest of the people sitting there. All of them had finished and look up expecting her to take their plates as well. She ignores them and walks over to Steve, the only one that has not finished eating his meal.

“Here, I’ll take Peter for the morning. You can go train and Tony can go finish that project with Bruce,” she says.

Steve allows it and when she walks away to the living room with Peter, he quickly finishes his breakfast. Clint gets up and helps everyone by taking their plates and rinsing them off before starting up the dishwasher. When he is done, he meets up with Natasha in the living room. Steve walks away to the training room on a separate floor higher up and Tony leaves with Bruce to the lab located near the ground floor. In the living room, Clint watches as Natasha holds a squirming Peter. The little boy giggling at her attempts to keep him still.

“You want me to get some toys and a blanket from his room,” Clint suggests while he watches Natasha place him on the couch beside her.

“Yes.” She looks over to him with a small, pleading smile.

He follows through with his offer and goes to Peter’s room. He leaves the baby’s room with a lot of toys and a fuzzy red blanket. He bumps into Thor on his way back. It isn’t surprising since somehow you almost run into everyone about four times a day in the large building. The god looks at all the small toys and deduces that they are for Peter.

“Do you need help with those, Hawkeye of Earth?”

“No, not really. And you can call me Clint when we’re in the Tower.”

“You do not wish to be called the name that was given to you,” he replies, slightly concerned.

“Not now,” the archer answers casually.

“Do you need help with the Black Widow to watch over Peter Stark-Rogerson?”

“Uh, yeah. You can help Nat and me with Peter for today. It’ll be good for him to get to know you,” Clint says. He heads for the living room with Thor beside him.

Clint empties his armful of toys on the ground and Natasha lays Peter on his stomach after she sets down the blanket. The trio keeps him entertained by gaining his interest in several of his new toys. Thor awkwardly maneuvers around Peter. It is clear to see that the much stronger god is exercising restraint with the weaker baby. Natasha laughs at how the man acts. To push upon their relationship more, Natasha gently places the baby in Thor’s arms. He frantically looks to his partners who laugh even more as he holds the baby in his rigid arms. Natasha even takes it upon herself to take a few pictures to capture the precious moment before she complies and lays Peter on his stomach again.

It isn’t until later into the afternoon, about 4 o'clock, that Tony and Bruce came through the elevator, back from working in the lab. Natasha glances through the large windows, seeing the sun’s position and looks back at the pair.

“You’re back early,” she says.

“Huh?” Tony backpedals into the room with the group. He takes notice of how Peter kicks his legs and smiles happily when he heard the man that took him to his new home.

“Did you finish or what?” Natasha continues.

“No, but we definitely will in the next few days,” Bruce answers for Tony as he walks on into the kitchen. He returns with a granola bar and sits on one of the couches in the living room.

Tony shrugs and grabs a not-so-healthy snack from one of the kitchen’s many pantries before heading off into the training room.

Clint checks the time and gets up quickly to fetch a bottle for Peter. When he returns with the warm bottle, the color being purple, he hands it off to Natasha. She feeds Peter and gently rocks him in her arms. The woman smiles softly as she observes just how Peter’s eyes start to close in a fluttering manner and his body becomes still and relaxed. He quickly finishes the contents of the bottle and she hands it back to Clint to put it away. Since the boy is close to sleep, she stands and goes to his room to put him in his crib for a proper nap.

Peter starts to kick his legs and whine quietly as she lays him down. She softly sings a lullaby to lull him back to sleep. One in her native tongue and so old that she feared she might have forgotten all the words and official tune. However, she sings it with ease and the exact way she remembers it. The song does its magic and the baby is asleep within seconds. Natasha straightens her back and turns to the door. There she spots Steve smiling and leaning against the doorway. He had heard her sing to Peter.

“Not a word to anyone.”

“I promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Avengers do their most important work that needs to be completed. Some shower and others spar together or work on major projects while they still can until J.A.R.V.I.S. alerts them of Peter waking. Steve is the first to get up to grab the boy. He has Tony take the baby from his arms in the living room and goes to make another warm bottle from baby formula. When Peter finishes that bottle, the cumulative group each takes turns holding him.

To everyone’s surprise, Bruce did very well with handling Peter. Steve was quick to ask if he could take Peter off his hands when the little boy began to grab and pull Bruce’s glasses off his face but the scientist just laughed it off. No one had expected the man to be so patient; especially when he turned into an unstoppable and invulnerable hulk when angry. Peter is then passed on to Thor again and the god still expressed his anxiety. That is until Peter started to pull at his golden strands. Thor felt no pain and found it extremely amusing. This only encouraged Peter to pull harder and Clint took the baby to not continue bad habits since there is a long-haired woman that would _not_ appreciate her hair being pulled. After his playtime, Peter takes another nap to awake to another bottle and a diaper change.

As the evening draws closer to bedtime, Steve and Tony decide to give Peter a bath. It isn’t as hard as they thought it would be. Nonetheless, the couple gets extremely wet. Peter finds water rather amusing and wants to share his love with his parents. He seems to like his bath at first but as it goes on longer, it becomes evident he wants to be out.

Steve and Tony finish quickly and dress him in new pajamas. They take Peter to his room, conjoined their own, and attempt to put him to sleep. However, Peter does not go straight to sleep as they want him to. Even with his teddy bear, Peter does not stop stirring in his crib.

Tony sighs and looks at Steve. “What should we do?”

“Read him a story?” Steve is just as confused as Tony.

“But what story,” Tony asks. He is not sure what to do either.

“Have J.A.R.V.I.S. pick one,” the soldier suggests with a shrug of his shoulders.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.,” the billionaire starts.

“I already have a few for you, sir,” the AI responds.

Tony pulls out his high tech phone. Sure enough, a small list of stories that Peter should be able to slightly comprehend was picked out and set aside on a folder. The parents take turns reading from the story’s digital pages. Peter looks up and sucks on a pacifier watching holographic images of cartoon pages fly by. When they exit, a sleepy Peter listens as J.A.R.V.I.S. begins to play soothing classical music.

In their bed, Tony complains about how simple and dumb the children’s story is. Steve argues that it is a children’s story and nothing more, it is supposed to be simple. Tony let it be at that but says that they should start reading Peter something a bit more advanced. Steve jokes and asks him if he wishes to read scholarly articles for their baby. Tony gives him a serious look.

“Why not,” Tony suggests.

 J.A.R.V.I.S. alerts them plenty of times that night when Peter awakes or starts crying; sometimes it’s both. The couple takes turns in assessing the fussy baby. Sometimes the problems can be solved in half an hour and sometimes it takes the full hour and then some to put Peter back to sleep. When Tony’s turn came around for what felt like the tenth time, he just couldn’t seem to leave the room without the baby resuming his cries. It was like Peter was addicted to the feeling of being surrounded by people. In a tired and fed up attitude, he decides to bring Peter to his room. Steve awoke after being shaken and he understands that the baby would have to sleep with them tonight. Peter stays in the middle of the bed with pillows around him to keep the adults from accidentally rolling on him in the night. But both parents are way too alert at night to accidentally do something as traumatizing as that. The rest of the night, the three sleep without much complication.

The next morning it’s evident that the couple didn’t get as much rest as the others. Natasha cracks a joke as Steve is a usually chipper man in the mornings and his current behavior is very out of character. Bruce takes initiative by feeding the baby some mashed fruits and the two eat their own makeshift breakfast: toaster waffles.

J.A.R.V.I.S. later announces to the team of the eventual arrival of an agent from Social Services. They would be arriving in two hours. He also reminds them of doctor appointments Peter has tomorrow, all set up by yours truly. Completely forgetting the meeting initially, the Avengers leave Peter in a little swing adorned with bright colors, lights, sounds, and toys while they run around the huge building to clean it.

To say that the Tower was a mess would be an accurate description. Tony had refused to pay for or hire any maids when he started designing the official Iron Man suit. His reasoning is for a matter of security. That and with the amount of those living in the building, they should be able to clean up the messes they make themselves. But, the ‘house’ is big and requires a lot of time and effort. Decorations are still up in hard to reach places since they were not taken any other day. It took creative measures to be quick and effective.

In the short window of time, the team was given, they finish just when J.A.R.V.I.S. states that the woman is waiting on the ground floor lobby; a few minutes later than expected. Steve is ultimately the one to go down with Tony. Since Tony is the owner of the building, the woman has to talk to him and Steve follows because not only are they married but the super soldier is the only one to promise that Tony would not treat the woman rudely. After all, first impressions need to be pleasant.

The woman’s face is stone cold and she is clearly not impressed by the fancy technology in the building. Any normal person may have wonder or admiration in their eyes. Her jet black hair is kept short to her face and her features are defined with muted and pale makeup. She looks like every desk worker you see in an office or see as an extra in a T.V. show.

“So, you’ve decided to raise a baby in the Avengers Tower.” Her voice is already strained and mundane. Her opinions are of something close to skepticism. Tony’s feelings are mutual of her but he does a better job of concealing it. Steve glares at Tony for a millisecond to make sure he curbs his attitude with the person who could make the decision to take away their new son.

“It’s one of the safest places to keep a baby, I promise.” The slightly condescending tone in Tony’s voice is clearly evident.

The tour she was given took a rather long time. The meeting conducted afterward was long too; longer than anyone would have liked, even for the woman administering it. Because the time drew on so long, Peter had been able to take a nap, get fed with more baby food, and changed by the other Avengers. Steve briefly wonders if they can handle it but Natasha is with them and she would make sure that Peter is in perfect and absolute condition.

In the end, the woman only gives the couple slight problems when it came to Tony and Bruce’s work area: the laboratories. Tony promises that no one can enter without passcodes and the correct identification. The woman remained unimpressed. She claims that it could still be a hazard but didn’t write it down on her report. Her job calls for her to be unbiased, so she keeps an emotionless look the entire time.

The couple looked to her at the end of the day with hopeful eyes. She sighs and tells them of her rating. The house is in suitable condition for Peter. No immediate dangers whatsoever. They celebrate after she leaves by ordering several pizzas from a nearby place. Peter just giggles and babbles the entire time.

The next day is just as early. It’s always early for Peter but more so for the rest of the team. Tony picks out an outfit for Peter and Steve manages to fit the snug clothing over the wiggling baby. The small family makes their way to their private clinic. Steve waits anxiously with Tony and Peter in a childish painted room.

Peter has to get his shots for obvious reasons but the couple also wanted their son to get a checkup. Their caseworker had said Peter was healthy but it never hurts to double check. When the doctor walked in, the man clarifies that Peter is in a perfectly healthy condition. The couple, at first, had some questions for Peter’s doctor concerning how they planned on raising a child. The doctor was patient and kind, ensuring the superhero couple that they would do well and Peter would turn out just fine.

They had gone through the easy part when it was time for Peter to get his shots. Peter was not pleased when he first saw the sharp needles. The boy was curious about the needle, not knowing what its purpose was. Steve lightly held Peter’s arm still for the doctor. When the doctor proceeded to administer the needles into his skin, Peter’s mood instantly soured. As expected, the baby cried from the pain of a few shots, but Tony and Steve didn’t want to risk the chance of Peter getting sick. The doctor returns for a few finals words with the parents. Peter, on the verge of tears again, starts to crawl away or he tries to in Steve’s iron grip.

His first trip to the doctor wasn’t the best but a friendly nurse tried her best to make it up. She gave the boy a brightly colored green sucker. Peter immediately stops crying and takes the sucker.


End file.
